Apple, which has stumbled in its efforts to get into social media, has talked with Twitter in recent months about making a strategic investment in it, according to people briefed on the matter.

[…] Apple has considered an investment in the hundreds of millions of dollars, one that could value Twitter at more than $10 billion, up from an $8.4 billion valuation last year, these people said. They declined to be named because the discussions were private.

Given this productive relationship, Apple’s floundering presence in social media, and the steadily worsening concerns for Twitter’s financial stability, such a partnership does not seem entirely unreasonable. And yet, regardless of the viability of such an agreement, it’s important to highlight that Apple has yet to formally approach Twitter regarding such an investment. Although the money and interest is almost certainly present, the reality of the situation is currently veiled in secrecy, and should not be discussed as anything more.

As an aside, given the increasing upset over Twitter’s recent behavior, now might be a prudent time to check out App.net — an independently developed alternative to Twitter.